


Later

by cabintardlock



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Episode: s02e03 The Reichenbach Fall, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-26
Updated: 2014-09-26
Packaged: 2018-02-18 21:06:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2362187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabintardlock/pseuds/cabintardlock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if when John and Sherlock were running from the cops and jumped over the fence, he pushed their lips together on purpose?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Later

**Author's Note:**

> Gift for the Exchangelock "What if" gift exchange. Not beta'd or britpicked, enjoy! Also find me on tumblr [here](http://consultinglovers.tumblr.com/) if you want!

John's arm jerked as Sherlock jumped gracefully over the spiked fence, leaving him stuck on the opposite side. He reached out for Sherlock's coat collar and dragged him closer, hands still shaky from the adrenaline.

“We're going to need to coordinate.” John said, his eyes flickering over Sherlock's flushed face.

In that split-second he seemed to realize just how close they were, how the warm huffs of Sherlock's breath felt on his skin, how Sherlock's eyes flitted to his lips, and _oh._ John surged forward, closing the space between them, pressing his lips against Sherlock's gently at first, but harder as a fresh wave of adrenaline rushed through him.

His lips were soft. That was all John could think as he squeezed his eyes shut and kissed that plush mouth. Sherlock gasped, and John started to pull away, but Sherlock just pressed forward, chasing John's mouth. A jarring police siren broke them apart and they stayed like that, panting against each others' lips.

“I believe you said something about coordinating?” Sherlock breathed, carefully taking John's hand in his and sliding it up and over the steel spike. “Come on.”

“Hmm?” John said, still surprised by how gently Sherlock seemed to cradle his hand, and by how warm it was in contrast to the cool night air.

“The police aren't quite that inept, they'll find us if we stay here for much longer.”

“Oh, right. But, Sherlock? Are we going to talk about that?”John said, almost forgetting that they were currently felons.

“Later.” Sherlock said, his eyes shining as he smirked at John.

“Right, later.” John repeated, giggling just a bit from the strangeness of it all as he began climbing over.

* * *

 

Sherlock heard his voice shake, and he had to stop and take a deep breath. Looking down at John, he felt his whole world spinning, and his feet swayed on the thin ledge. Still, he couldn't look away from John, he wanted to see John as much as he could before it was too late. Sherlock reaches his hand out to John, almost imagining that he could touch him, feel each hair on his head and smooth away the pain and confusion etched into the lines on his face.

“Keep your eyes fixed on me.” He could feel himself growing more panicked as he talked, because this had to work, he had to survive. He had to come back to John. “Please, will you do this for me?”

“Do what?” John asked.

“This phone call – it’s, er ... it’s my note. It’s what people do, don’t they – leave a note?” Sherlock said, his voice softening as he tried to keep it steady.

“Sherlock, you said later. Don't do this, you said later...” John pleaded, voice trembling as he stared at Sherlock, pressing the phone against his ear as if it would keep him there, safe on the rooftop.

Sherlock nearly broke at those words, the desperation evident in John's voice. 'Later' he'd promised. When would their later be? In his head, Sherlock swore that there would be a later.

“Goodbye, John.” Sherlock said, knowing well it'd be the last words he spoke to John in a very long time.

He tossed his phone to the side, closing his eyes so he doesn't have to see John. Taking a deep breath, he steps off, knowing very well that his plan would save him. Sherlock tried to whisper John's name, but his throat constricted as he gulped down the air and rushed closer, closer to the pavement, closer to John, closer to that “later”.

* * *

 

“I'll leave you alone to...you know.” Mrs. Hudson wept, wiping away her tears and fishing a tissue from her pocket. She glanced one more time at the glossy black marble before turning away.

John swallowed hard, feeling at a loss for words as he stared at the headstone. “Sherlock Holmes” it said, but it wasn't Sherlock. Sherlock was bright and vibrant, while this was just...wrong.

“Umm...” John starts, clearing his throat. “Sherlock, there are so many...so many things I had to tell you still, and we never had a chance. You...saved me, really. You pulled me out of the that hell I was in, you gave me reason...how could I not fall in love with you? No matter what you seemed to think, you were...the most important man I've ever met, the most human, and I don't think I'll ever not...believe in you.”

John started to turn away, out of words, before turning back to the grave that served as a pseudo-Sherlock.

“No, you promised me our later, Sherlock. So please...please for me, just for me...come back. Stop this, stop all of it...” John heaved in a deep breath as he felt tears starting in his eyes. “Give us our chance, we could've been so much, so amazing Sherlock. I'll never...not be waiting for 'later' Sherlock, so just stop.”

Raising his eyes to the headstone, he saw his reflection in it through watery eyes. Right on his chest, over his heart, the word “Sherlock” seemed to be engraved, and in that moment he gave up. “Later” would never happen, it was foolish to think it. Sherlock would always be in his memories, but it was time for him to say goodbye, just like Sherlock did.

John straightened up, wiping away his tears before standing at attention. He nodded in salute to Sherlock and turned on his heel, walking away. This wasn't Sherlock, this was a pile of dirt and a glossy stone, but the gesture felt good anyways. Never again would he see the “real” Sherlock after all.

John didn't look back.

* * *

 

Sherlock heard all of it. He saw John's confession, his plea for Sherlock to return, and he saw John giving up, dismissing the foolish idea that he might see Sherlock again.

In that moment, Sherlock didn't want to take down Moriarty's web, he didn't want to leave, he just wanted to go back to John. He wanted their second chance, their later. He wanted to feel what it was like to kiss John one more time, because that one time left him gasping, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

Sherlock knew what he had to do though. He knew that he had to do this, to be apart from John. Above all, he had to ensure John's safety.

He had to ensure their “later”.

 


End file.
